Introduction

Cited by courts and reviewed by growing numbers of legal professionals, web logs are becoming the must-read news sources in many areas of law. Regularly scanning the right web logs is one of the best ways to stay abreast of new cases and emerging issues. And incidentally, it’s an excellent method for learning about new blogs.

This article is a collection of web logs that provide news and analysis of current developments in criminal justice. Authorship ranges among lawyers, law professors, law librarians, public defenders, criminal justice professionals and observers and commentators on the justice system.

This is not meant to be a comprehensive review of all web logs on this subject. Only select sites focusing on news and analysis have been chosen, omitting a large body of web logs that chronicle individual experiences and viewpoints. To explore the blogosphere further, see the Directories section at the end.

Even a brief survey of the blogs in this article quickly demonstrate their value as current awareness and research tools. In addition to news from mainstream media, often the editors of these sites post hard to find items, such as links to unpublished opinions, briefs and motions, new studies, and changes in local polices and practices. Many provide organized access to past entries through site search engines and categorical links. And some offer dated entries with external links, ideal for research and citation. Lastly, these journals often list useful resource websites and other relevant blogs.

These are general criminal law news and commentary blogs. Most are national in scope, and some concentrate on particular subject areas.

Appellate Law and PracticeThis web log publishes case summaries from various federal circuits and some state courts. Categories include criminal defenses, offenses, procedure and sentencing. It is authored by a group of federal law clerks and appellate lawyers, each of whom cover discrete topics.

Capital Defense WeeklyThis site provides national coverage of case law, legislative and political developments concerning death penalty litigation. The site is published by Karl Keys.

Crime & ConsequencesThis blog discusses criminal law topics including: notable federal and state cases, new studies on criminal justice policies, and other news. The editorial viewpoint of this site is “from the perspective of victims of crime and the law-abiding public.” The blog is sponsored by the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation.

Criminal Justice Journalists’ News CenterThis is a news service that provides daily updates with links to current stories devoted to criminal justice issues nationwide. It is published by Criminal Justice Journalists with the support of John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

CrimProf Blog (LPBN)This is a part of the Law Professor Blogs Network and is edited by Mark A. Godsey, Associate Professor of Law, Faculty Director, Lois and Richard Rosenthal Institute for Justice/Ohio Innocence Project, University of Cincinnati College of Law, along with contributing editor Michele Berry, Associate at Gerhardstein & Branch Co. LPA Cincinnati, OH. They frequently publish summaries of news items about criminal law stories of interest and scholarly research.

DefensologyThis blog has a unique perspective, viewing criminal defense at the juncture where it meets technology. Entries summarize news in forensics, law enforcement practices, and other defense related technology subjects. The topic categories include cybercrime, DNA, DUI, fingerprints, junk science, and more. The site is maintained by Washington state criminal lawyer and computer technologist Robert Perez.

DUI BlogThis web log is devoted to monitoring developments in DWI law across the country. The site editor, Lawrence Taylor, a California attorney, is a nationally recognized expert whose publications include the treatise Drunk Driving Defense, and he is one of the founders of the National College for DUI Defense.

Fourth Amendment.comA supplement to Search and Seizure (LexisNexis 3rd ed. 2000), this blog publishes summaries of notable cases nationwide. The site is maintained by Attorney John Wesley Hall, who practices in Arkansas.

Innocence BlogThis web log publishes news about Institute cases, legislative action and other new developments from around the country concerning innocence claims and wrongful conviction. The blog is maintained by Innocence Institute of Point Park University, which is an innocence project focused on journalistic investigation.

Jus in BelloThis blog, sponsored by Pace Law School, concentrates on international criminal tribunals and the law of international criminal prosecutions.

Law of Criminal DefenseThis website provides updates concerning ethical issues related to criminal defense written by attorney John Wesley Hall, Jr., and serves as a supplement to his treatise, Professional Responsibility in Criminal Defense Practice (West Group 2005).

Sex CrimesThis web log has assumed the lead in reporting on the latest developments in sex offense laws, sentencing, registration acts, and civil commitment issues. It has excellent coverage drawn from a wide range of sources. Attorney Corey Rayburn Yung, who is an associate at a New York City law firm, is responsible for maintaining this site.

TalkLeftIntended for a wide audience, this blog is described as the “on-line source for liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news.’ Its purpose is to ‘intelligently and thoroughly examine issues, candidates and legislative initiatives as they pertain to constitutional rights, particularly those of persons accused of crime.” The site was created by Denver-based criminal defense attorney Jeralyn Merritt, who is also the author of the criminal justice resource site CrimeLynx. Regular contributors to the blog include: Attorney T. Christopher Kelly of Madison, WI, with occasional contributions by John Wesley Hall, Jr. of Little Rock, AR, see Fourth Amendment.com above.

White Collar Crim Prof Blog (LPBN)A part of the Law Professor Blogs Network, this site provides news and summaries about case law and legislative developments in federal crime, specifically white collar offenses. The site editors are Peter J. Henning, Professor of Law Wayne State University Law School and Ellen S. Podgor, Associate Dean of Faculty Development & Distance Education, Professor of Law Stetson University College of Law.

Evidence

These blogs cover all kinds of topics, such as hearsay, forensics, and false confessions.

Blog 702This web log is an adjunct to the Daubert on the Web site, which contains a rich library of materials on the interpretation of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 509 U.S. 579 (1993). The blog provides news and updates concerning the admissibility of expert evidence in the courts. Both sites are maintained by Pennsylvania Attorney Peter Nordberg at Berger & Montague.

Confrontation BlogThis blog provides case summaries, news and commentary on developments in the application of the Confrontation Clause in light of Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36 (2004). Professor Richard D. Friedman, Ralph W. Aigler Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School, is responsible for maintaining this site.

Science and Law Blog (LPBN)A member of the Law Professor Blogs Network, this site focuses on the many ways that scientific developments impact legal issues. And it reports on new studies and cases in different areas of forensics of interest to criminal practitioners. The site is maintained by David L. Faigman, Distinguished Professor of Law University of CA, Hastings; David H. Kaye, Regents’ Professor of Law Arizona State University College of Law; Michael J. Saks, Professor of Law & Psychology Arizona State University College of Law; Joseph Sanders, A.A. White Professor of Law University of Houston Law Center; and Edward K. Cheng, Assistant Professor of Law Brooklyn Law School.

Science EvidenceThis blog reports on developments in science that impact civil and criminal litigation. The postings are categorized into such areas as forensic evidence, neuroscience and psychology, and toxicology. The site is maintained by Attorney Cliff Hutchinson of Huges & Luce, TX.

The blogs in this area focus on case law developments and policy issues surrounding the nation’s sentencing laws and correctional practices.

Corrections SentencingThis is a forum for practitioners, policymakers, and the public to review and discuss current issues and the latest research in sentencing policy and practice. The site is maintained by Michael Connelly, Administrator of the Evaluation & Analysis Unit of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and Dr. Kim Steven Hunt, Executive Director of the District of Columbia Sentencing Commission.

Prisonsucks.comA site devoted to presenting the latest “research on the crime control industry,” this web log publishes information about studies, statistics, policy reports and other data related to the condition of US prisons, prisoner rights, and connected criminal justice issues. This site is a project of the Prison Policy Initiative and maintained by Executive Director, Peter Wagner, JD.

Second Circuit Sentencing BlogThis web log provides case summaries and commentaries on sentencing decisions from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The site is maintained by Harlan J. Protass, a criminal defense attorney in New York City.

Sentencing Law and PolicyProfessor Douglas Berman, William B. Saxbe Designated Professor of Law Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University, publishes insightful commentary on late-breaking sentencing developments in the courts, and monitors a wide range of news and original sources.

Federal and State

Many excellent blawgs spotlight criminal practice news in a particular locale, while sometimes posting entries on general matters of interest to practitioners everywhere.

Federal

Best DefenseThis is one of several blogs authored by federal criminal defense lawyer Tom Lincoln. These blogs contain summaries and discussions of current cases in the First Circuit, issues and stories about criminal defense practice, and developments in federal criminal law. His other blogs include: Macondo Law, focusing on items of interest to criminal defense lawyers in Puerto Rico; Puerto Rico Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, which posts information about association activities and important legal news; and TrialPrep, a novel site discussing case preparation, courtroom presentation and advocacy techniques.

Federal Defender Law BlogsThese sites concentrate on case summaries and commentary about new decisions coming out of the US Supreme Court and federal circuit courts. The authors are lawyers with the Federal Defenders Office. A compilation of these blogs reports can also be found at D-Web Law Blogs.

This web resource has an annotated list of “Blogs on the Supreme Court and Constitutional Rights.” The site was created by Justia, Oyez and US Court Forms.

States

Georgia

Georgia Criminal Law Blog and PodcastThis site reports on criminal legal news, case law and legislative developments, and practice topics of interest to Georgia practitioners. The site is maintained by Robert Leonard, founding partner of the law firm of Leonard & Rickman.

Kansas

Kansas DefendersThis is a state specific site that provides news and resources for Kansas practitioners, along with observations about local defense practice. The site is maintained by Randall Hodgkinson, an attorney with the Kansas Appellate Defender Office.

Massachusetts

Criminal Defense in MassachusettsThis blog posts entries about state practice, news, case law summaries, and relevant national developments. The site is maintained by H. Ernest Stone, a Massachusetts attorney.

New York

GungaWeb NewsThis is a web log that provides updates on the development of GungaWeb.com, which is an information system for analyzing and keeping current with sentencing laws, plea bargaining restrictions, sentencing alternatives, lesser included offenses, and statutory construction. The site is maintained by David E. Woodin, Esq., Catskill, NY.

Indignant IndigentThe author of this blog writes case summaries of current Second Circuit, New York Court of Appeals, and Fourth Department decisions. The site is maintained by Eric Dolan, a public defender in Monroe County, NY.

Long Island (Criminal) Trial LawyerThis blog provides commentary on criminal defense practice and news summaries about developments in local cases. The author is Anthony J. Colleluori, an experienced criminal lawyer, who has written and lectured extensively on defense practice. Please note that this blog is on hiatus until January 2007 for retooling as a group blog that will include more case summaries and discussions of trial techniques.

Sui GenerisNew York lawyer Nicole L. Black, a former civil practitioner and public defender who now provides researching and writing services for attorneys, posts news and commentary about local civil and criminal law news.

Antitrust Prof Blog (LPBN)Shubha Ghosh, Professor of Law at the SMU Dedman School of Law, reports on new developments and activities among scholars and practitioners in the field of antitrust law.

Family Law Prof Blog (LPBN)This site provides case summaries, news and commentary concerning domestic law. The site is edited by Barbara Glesner Fines, Ruby M. Hulen Professor of Law University of Missouri Kansas City, and Nancy Ver Steegh, Associate Professor of Law William Mitchell College of Law.

Immigration Prof Blog (LPBN)The rapidly changing area of immigration law is monitored on this blog by Kevin R. Johnson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Mabie-Apallas Public Interest Professor of Law and Chicana/o Studies University of California, Davis, School of Law; and Bill O. Hing, Professor of Law, and Asian American Studies Director of Clinical Legal Education University of California, Davis, School of Law.

Investigate THIS!This is a blog that covers news and resources related to factual research and investigations. The site is maintained by Tamara Thompson, a private investigator.

Directories

These directories will provide valuable resources for locating additional blogs in criminal justice and other areas of law.

Blawg DirectoryThis is a digest of posts from the legal blogging community, similar to a table of contents service for law reviews. It organizes entries into more than 30 topics, including Criminal Law. This service is sponsored by Blawg Republic, which is a blog search engine that updates entries hourly.

Blawg SearchJustia, which provides web design and marketing solutions for lawyers, has created an extensive collection of legal web logs that are well categorized, including Criminal Law.

Law Professor Blogs Network (LPBN)This network facilitates scholarship and teaching through its blogs on a variety of subjects. The law teachers who edit these web logs provide up-to-date news, expert commentary, and links to additional resources. The network is maintained by Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Paul L. Caron, Charles Hartsock Professor of Law, Director of Faculty Projects, University of Cincinnati College of Law; and Chief of Operations, Joe Hodnicki, Associate Director for Library Operations, Robert S. Marx Law Library, University of Cincinnati College of Law.

Law Weblogs-BlawgsThis is a pathfinder that provides information on blogging and evaluating web logs. It has a topical analysis of legal blogs in different areas of practice. The site is maintained by Lynn Lenart, Assistant Law Librarian for Reference Services at the University of Akron School of Law Library.

Taxonomy of Legal BlogsThis website is an index to the universe of law-related web logs. Along with a categorical analysis of sites in different areas of law, the author has done several citation studies noting courts and law reviews that have referred to particular web logs: Cases Citing Legal Blogs and Law Review Articles Citing Legal Blogs. It was created by Ian Best, a former student at the Mortiz College of Law, who is now a lawyer with the Ohio Legislative Service Commission.

Sabrina is also Researcher/Author of
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